Danny Kass

United States

At the dawn of the new millennium snowboard halfpipe had hit a plateau. Progression was stalled as the old guard fought to keep pace with a new generation of youngsters learning their chops in the newly developed and considerably larger Superpipe. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, a young punk from New Jersey dropped in and sparked a pipe riding revolution that reset the whole discipline. That kid was Danny Kass. He nabbed his first pro pipe victory at Okemo, Vermont in 2001, where he trained and studied in the renowned Okemo Mountain School, and from that point kicked off an incredible competitive winning streak that, through the years led to four U.S. Open titles, seven X Games medals, and back-to-back Silver medals in the Olympics. He’s the kid who introduced back-to-back 10s and many other dizzying combos to pipe competition but it wasn’t just Danny’s riding that made him a champ, it was his smartass attitude, sleepy yet lethal style and a cult-like fan base that emerged around his upstart Grenade Gloves brand. While maintaining his dominance in pipe Danny launched Grenade and led his legions of supporters around the world on the nonstop party train. Now a certified legend in snowboarding, Danny continues to influence the next generation with his long-running MTV series The Adventures Of Danny & The Dingo. Make no mistake, though, Danny is still riding hard and reppin’ New Jerz to the fullest. That will never change.